How Can We Maintain Spiritual Momentum? Series

HOW CAN WE MAINTAIN SPIRITUAL MOMENTUM?

Your Spiritual Journey — Post 40 Days #2

Hebrews 12:1-2

INTRODUCTION:

How many of you remember your physics class in high school? The PG paraphrase of Newton’s first law of motion states “Unless acted upon by a force an object at rest will stay at rest and an object in motion will stay in motion.” In other words, unless someone or something does something to change things something that is stationary will stay that way and something that is moving will keep going. For example, a book set on a table will remain in the same place until you or I do something with it. If we apply force to the book and slide it across the table the book will want to keep moving in the same direction and the same speed as we started it moving unless something else applies force to stop it. Now how many of us know what happens to a book pushed across a table? It either stops, or it falls off the edge of the table and lands on the floor. Why does it do that? While we apply force to get the book moving, another force—the resistance of the table against the book will slow it down. If the book reaches the end of the table another force called gravity will change it’s direction and pull it to the floor. Even a bullet fired from a gun will eventually fall to the ground and stop because of the resistance it encounters flying through the air.

What’s the point? Spiritually we’re just like the book or the bullet. While we may get off to a great start we encounter resistance. Hardships and difficulty get in our way and we lose our momentum. Some folks even come to a stop spiritually, and then it’s hard to get them started again—they would prefer to stay put.

Many of us were energized through our 40 days of purpose. God’s word and the Holy Spirit has been a force in our lives to get us moving in the right direction. While some of us may have not encountered much resistance yet, others of us have already felt like throwing in the towel. We get off to a great start, but then life hits us in the face and we lose our momentum; we slow down, change direction, and if we aren’t careful we stop altogether.

How can we maintain our spiritual momentum? How can we keep on keeping on for Jesus and not run out of spiritual gas? This morning we want to answer that important question. Now that we have started the race, how can we finish it?

• Hebrews 12:1-2 (NIV)

[1] Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. [2] Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

We are all running the race of life—some more quickly than others! Many of us have entered another race—the race of faith. We started the race of faith as we began a personal friendship with Jesus. The race of faith is not a 100 yard dash; it’s a marathon. The finish line of faith comes when this life is over and we are welcomed into heaven.

As we strive to run the race set before us we can sometimes lose our momentum. Hebrews 12:1-2 shows us what we can do to maintain our spiritual momentum; how we can overcome resistance and the energy that got us started will keep us going until we cross the finish line.

1. In the race of faith I will be encouraged to keep running by those ahead of me.

 In a typical race the runners compete against each other. Why push yourself to finish running a 26 mile marathon if the winner has crossed the finish line and you still have one, three, five, ten, or fifteen miles to go?

In the race of faith we are not competing with other runners; in this race everyone who enters can win! The race is a personal journey of faith leading us into heaven and the welcoming arms of Jesus. We run the race of faith, not to compete but to encourage; Christians run ahead of others not to defeat them, but to show other believers how to run the race. The race of faith is a race you can win!

In the race of faith two groups of people are ahead of you. The first is a group you can’t see, but they can see you. Most of these are people you don’t know personally, but they are cheering you on.